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Display and UX Specification
Product Intent
Create a modern connected tabletop radio with retro visual character. The user experience should preserve the emotional feel of a classic wood-cabinet radio while replacing analog tuning behavior with a small digital display and contemporary interaction patterns.
Industrial Design Context
- Cabinet style: wood-look tabletop enclosure
- Overall width target: 220 mm
- Front panel: symmetrical or near-symmetrical composition
- Primary controls: two front-panel knobs
- Display position: small center display
- Product character: warm, calm, approachable, premium consumer audio device
UX Goals
- Make the device feel immediately understandable without requiring an app for basic playback
- Preserve a radio-like experience with tactile front controls
- Support modern audio sources including WiFi streaming and Bluetooth
- Provide clear source, playback, and status feedback on the front panel
- Keep the visual interface compact and low-distraction
- Make common tasks fast: power on, source selection, volume, preset recall, and pairing
Primary Usage Modes
- WiFi streaming playback
- Bluetooth audio playback
- Internet radio playback
- Local preset recall
- Battery-powered portable use for a few hours
- Plugged-in desktop or shelf use while charging or powered externally
Core Front-Panel Elements
Left Knob
Preferred role:
- Source and navigation control
Candidate behaviors:
- Rotate: move through menu items, stations, or presets
- Short press: confirm/select
- Long press: open source menu or home screen
Alternative role if needed:
- Tuning-style browsing of stations or content lists
Right Knob
Preferred role:
- Volume and power control
Candidate behaviors:
- Rotate: volume up/down
- Short press: play/pause or mute
- Long press: power or standby toggle
Alternative role if needed:
- Dedicated volume only, with separate hidden or rear power switch
Center Display
Preferred characteristics:
- Small rectangular display
- Readable from across a room at short-to-medium distance
- High contrast
- Comfortable brightness for bedroom, office, or living room environments
- Supports dimming for evening use
Target information density:
- Low to moderate
- Avoid crowded UI or tiny text
- Focus on one primary task per screen
Additional UI Elements
Optional, if needed by architecture or industrial design:
- Small status LED for charging/state indication
- Subtle icons on screen for WiFi, Bluetooth, battery, and playback state
- Soft backlight or warm monochrome aesthetic if aligned with product identity
Display Content Priorities
The display should prioritize the following information, in order:
- Current playback source
- Station, stream, or device name
- Volume level feedback when changed
- Playback status
- Connectivity state
- Battery/charging state
- Time or standby information when idle
Main Screens
Home / Now Playing
Should show:
- Source name
- Current station, service, or device name
- Simple playback state
- Optional small connectivity/battery indicators
Source Selection
Should show:
- WiFi streaming
- Bluetooth
- Internet radio
- Presets
- Settings
Presets Screen
Should support:
- Browsing saved stations or streams
- Quick recall with minimal clicks
- Clear indication of preset number and name
Bluetooth Pairing Screen
Should show:
- Pairing mode active
- Device name
- Connection success/failure feedback
Settings Screen
Should include, at minimum:
- WiFi setup
- Bluetooth management
- Display brightness
- Audio settings
- Battery/power status
- Factory reset
- Device info
Standby / Idle Screen
Should show one of:
- Clock
- Minimal brand mark
- Battery/charging status
- Current source ready state
Interaction Design Principles
- Primary functions should be reachable in one gesture or one click from idle playback
- Volume adjustment must always feel direct and immediate
- Source switching should be obvious and recoverable
- Pairing and WiFi onboarding should be possible without a mobile app, though app-assisted setup may be supported later
- Menu depth should be shallow
- Text labels should be favored over icon-only navigation when screen size allows
- Every knob press should produce immediate on-screen feedback
User Feedback Requirements
- Visual confirmation for source changes
- Visual confirmation for pairing and WiFi connection events
- Temporary overlay for volume changes
- Battery warning before shutdown on low charge
- Charging indication when external power is connected
- Error messages for unavailable networks or failed streams
Accessibility and Readability
- Ensure strong contrast between text and background
- Use legible font sizes for key information on a small display
- Avoid relying only on color to communicate state
- Keep critical actions consistent across screens
- Support brightness reduction for dark-room use
Audio UX Requirements
- Fast resume to previous source where appropriate
- Low-latency volume response
- Mute/play/pause behavior should be consistent across Bluetooth and WiFi modes where supported
- Startup and shutdown audio behavior should avoid pops or abrupt high-volume output
- Optional startup chime only if it can be disabled
Connectivity UX Requirements
- Clear distinction between Bluetooth source and WiFi streaming source
- Device should communicate when it is discoverable for pairing
- WiFi connection state should be visible but unobtrusive
- If a stream fails, user should receive a clear recovery path
Battery UX Requirements
- Battery state should be visible on-demand and optionally always visible as an icon
- Charging state should be visible both on-screen and optionally through a small indicator LED
- Low battery behavior should degrade gracefully with warning before shutdown
- If external power is removed, playback should continue without disruptive reboot if system architecture allows
Display Technology Direction
Initial preference:
- Small digital display centered on the front panel
Candidate classes to evaluate during implementation:
- Small monochrome OLED for premium high-contrast look
- Small TFT/LCD for richer status graphics and album art fragments
- Memory LCD or low-power display if battery life becomes the priority
Selection criteria:
- Readability
- Low power draw
- Mechanical fit within the front panel aesthetic
- Good visual harmony with wood-look cabinet and knob spacing
- Interface simplicity for the main processor
Front-Panel Labeling Guidance
- Keep visible text minimal
- Favor engraved, printed, or subtle labels around the knobs only if needed
- Preserve a clean vintage-inspired front face
- Any branding should be understated
Open Decisions
- Exact display size and aspect ratio
- Display technology choice
- Whether both knobs include push action
- Whether a separate hidden power switch is needed
- Whether presets are exposed directly on the home screen
- Whether the product should support clock/alarm behavior
- Whether an app-assisted setup flow is required for first-time WiFi onboarding
Implications for Schematic and PCB
- Processor must support display interface, WiFi, Bluetooth, audio streaming, and responsive UI handling
- UI subsystem should support two rotary encoders or knob-compatible input devices with optional push action
- Power subsystem must support battery indication and charging status presentation
- PCB floorplan must reserve front-edge regions for two knobs and center display alignment
- EMI/noise control will be important so display and wireless subsystems do not degrade audio quality
Product Intent
Industrial Design Context
UX Goals
Primary Usage Modes
Core Front-Panel Elements
Left Knob
Right Knob
Center Display
Additional UI Elements
Display Content Priorities
Main Screens
Home / Now Playing
Source Selection
Presets Screen
Bluetooth Pairing Screen
Settings Screen
Standby / Idle Screen
Interaction Design Principles
User Feedback Requirements
Accessibility and Readability
Audio UX Requirements
Connectivity UX Requirements
Battery UX Requirements
Display Technology Direction
Front-Panel Labeling Guidance
Open Decisions
Implications for Schematic and PCB